Interior of a glass factory in Murano.
On November 14, a Venetian businessman named Matteo Secchi and friends will host a mock funeral for their beloved hometown. Part of a group of citizens concerned about the exodus of permanent residents, Secchi is making good on a promise in 2006 that if the population of Venetians dropped below 60,000, he would take a mock coffin in a boat down the Grand Canal in a staged funeral procession.
Sechhi and his group want to highlight the plight of local residents who are being driven off the island by increasing prices for real estate, services, and basics of life. According to articles in Newsweek, and Voice of America, they blame speculators driving up real estate prices, and the rapidly rising costs of living on the island. Ironically, tourism is continuing to increase with a total of 20 million visitors expected in 2009. But apparently, the nature of the tourism to this tiny island has changed. Venice is becoming less of a luxury destination and more of a budget-traveler destination, and many of them bring their own food, buy no products except the cheapest souvenirs (such as Chinese-made glassware), and rarely stay overnight.
These demographic changes have serious implications for glassblowing in Murano, as we see from a separate article by Scott Benefield which was originally printed in the Glass Art Society newsletter. With the stresses of tourism, and rising prices for locals also affecting the nearby island of Murano, Benefield worries about the future of glassblowing. He cites with concern the increasing number of tourist hotels being built as a more affordable alternative as another threat to the traditional economy of Murano.